BOROKWINA

There is a mythology prevalent among Tripuris about the origin of goddess Borokwina. This is told as folklore as well as a story told during the worship of goddess Borokwina. This story has to be retold when ever Borokwina goddess is worshipped. She is worshipped on any Sunday evening when ever and which ever date any devotee decides. The goddess can be worshipped with barest minimum of requirement, and it is one of Tripuri deity in which no sacrifice is offered.

According to prevalent mythology of goddess Borokwina, there was a Tripuri king named Dhan Sadagar, he got married to a beautiful princess, but she died when her daughter princess Kamlapati was only seven year old. After the death of his wife the king was not ready to get married, but was persuade to as princess Kamlapati would not be taken care off. So he finally decided to re-marry the queen's sister again, thinking that she will take care of her niece princess Kamlapati. After some time, when every thing got settled, the king again thought of going for a foreign tour to defeat other kings and bring lots of wealth, from abroad.

Then the day finally came for departure, when all the royal people and ministers gathered to see him off. The princess Kamlapati was in tears to see of her father, so he hugged and wiped her tears. She asked him to bring for her the best of cloths, jewelries and toys, which the king promised.

Some days later after king's departure, step mother that is her aunt started torturing her. She was offered stale foods, torn cloths, and finally asked to go for goats keeping. The princess Kamlapati was asked to keep for 1000 goats. Kamlapati would go to jungle for grazing goats every day in the morning and would return late evening; she would not get good food as used to be when her father was with her. Now she became thin, lean, wears soiled, dirty cloths like a goats-boy.

One day she lost many of goats she took for grazing in the jungle. When she returned home she was beaten black and blue. She cried like any thing but no one came for her rescue. Again next day same routine, and one day when she was grazing goats, she was so hungry and thirsty she felt asleep. In her dream a beautiful women appeared before her, and asked why she is sleeping. Kamlapati told all her woes to her, then the women said to her not to cry, and seek her help whenever in need and banished. When she woke up it was already evening past night. All of her goats are lost. She was puzzled and confused what to do and not to do. She scared as it was full of wild animals and tigers.

As she was told in her dream she meditated and called her to help her in this hour of crisis. Instantly she appeared ditto as she saw her in dream, and asked what for she called her. Kamlapati told her problem, the women said 'I am the goddess Borokwina; I am always there to help to all human being in need. I give blessing or BOR that is why I am Borokwina, you worship me whatever way you can, with whatever things you have, but with full devotion and dedication by heart, I shall bless upon thee.'

Saying this, the goddess disappeared. Then Kamlapati collected some piece of bamboo, some grains of sand, same piece of soil, and some wild flowers and got some water from near by stream.

She said, 'Mother goddess, Borokwina, I am help less her, I have nothing to offer you, no means to worship you, these are my banana, sugar, cakes, and incense, please accept as it is, I have lost all of my goats, please get it back to me other wise I shall be killed by my step mother. She said ‘ULO' sound three times; soon she found all the bamboo turned to banana, sand to sugar, and soil piece to cake. In no sooner time all of her goats returned safely. Now she prayed again to goddess to let her meet her father by that night, and she worshipped all the night.

That night her father was returning from foreign country, he was in the mid of river. In his dream, the same goddess appeared and asked to go home immediately, but he failed, again it happened, so he consulted all of his helpers who told to wait for the night and slept again. Then the goddess sank all of his boats and killed many of his accompany, but king and some helper escaped. Now the king asked to find some fire so that he can go back home at the earliest. When his men searched fire climbing up to a tall tree she found there was a dim light in a far way hill. King ordered to get it any how, so they followed the order, and when reached found that it was a small girls. So the men gave their identity and she gave her, she was then brought to her father, along with took fire.

When farther reached she could recognize, but her father failed to recognize her n told her to show her proof of being princess Kamlapati. She showed her chain and she was hugged by his father.

After that she told all her story and he told his mischief, then she by praying Borokwina got all of his boat and men back. They went back home, while Kamlapati was hidden a a big carton. When they reached their home, the queen was crying saying that the princess had died. King pacified not to cry fruitlessly as dead Kamlapati would not return any way. Then the king asked the queen where was princess cremated, wherever she showed as the site of cremation king sprinkled water given to him by his daughter saying the mantra, ‘If the Borokwina be true goddess may the cremated life be back for a movement.' But the life that was revived for a moment was a royal black dog, then it was turn of a cat, of a Muslim man. Any way, the king told the queen not to worry. When king was about to have his dinner he asked to serve one extra dish for his daughter of which queen was skeptical. As he was about to have his dinner he ordered his one of servant to bring a big cage before him. Then he again asked, had the princess Kamlapati really died? She replied, 'Your highness, why are you so doubtful it and where should I hide her!'

King by this got confirmed of her attitude and asked his servant to open the carton he brought along with him from abroad form where princess Kamlapati came out. King Sadagar asked were from this princess had come back if she had died. Queen's legs was shaking, throat got dried. Now he ordered to bring his big sword and told to cut off queen's head in from of him. At this princess Kamlapati fall on the feet of king and requested him not to kill her step mother for her torture which was her due, not queen's fault, then the king forgiven her and they lived for ever. Since then the goddess Kamlapati had been worshipped in Tripura for thousands of years.